[An overview in genomic medicine and public health].

Genomics, as a scientific discipline responsible for genome maps, sequencing and functional analysis of genomes, allows for continually expanding knowledge of the structure and function of genomes. The influence of genomics on medicine generates a new perspective for how we perceive health and disease, knowing the influence of genetic variations on susceptibility to disease. In the area of public health, genetic epidemiology translates genetic knowledge into individual and public actions, evaluating the effect of the distribution of genetic determinants and their interaction with environmental factors involved in the etiology of human diseases. In addition, genomic medicine suggests new diagnostic systems, genetic associations and nutritional disorders, specific responses to diverse drugs, and the design of new drugs for susceptible groups. And yet, the greatest advances in genomic medicine in the field of health are forthcoming.